Summary in plain english (Without legal value)

This decree-law introduces into Portuguese law the European Directive 2016/844/EU on safety rules for passenger ships.

What will change?

Safety rules for passenger ships will be updated

1. There will be new rules for noise protection on passenger ships (classes B, C and D) weighing 1 600 gross tonnes and above, which will apply to ships built from 1 January 2018.

Gross tonnage is a value that represents the total internal volume of the ship. It is calculated based on the size of all enclosed spaces on the ship.

2. New rules are set for ship steering gear.

The steering gear is the system used to control the direction of movement of the ship. It consists of equipment such as the ship’s wheel, the rudder, the rudder mechanism and the transmissions between this equipment.

3. New legal definitions are introduced for:

fire dampers

automatic fire dampers

manual fire dampers

remotely operated fire dampers

smoke dampers

automatic smoke dampers

manual smoke dampers

remotely operated smoke dampers.

A fire damper is an easy-to-operate device that is installed in a ventilation duct, which, under normal conditions, remains open allowing flow in the duct. If there is a fire, it is closed to prevent the flow in the duct and restrict the passage of the fire.

A smoke damper is an easy-to-operate device installed in a ventilation duct, which, under normal conditions, remains open allowing air circulation in the duct. If there is a fire, it is closed to prevent the flow in the duct and restrict the passage of hot fumes and gases.

4. New rules for fire prevention and fire fighting on ships will be established. For example:

on ships built after 1 January 2018, fire-fighting equipment must protect the elements of all internal combustion engines that represent a fire hazard without the need to stop the machinery, evacuate personnel or isolate the space

the list of mandatory fire-fighting equipment on ships will be updated

there will be new required specification charts for the materials used in the bulkheads and on the decks of the ship.

Bulkheads are walls that ensure that the compartments of a ship are watertight.

5. New rules will be introduced for ventilation systems on ships built after 1 January 2018. The existing rules continue to apply to ships built before 1 January 2018.

6. Rules on the type and amount of rescue equipment required for different types of ships will be updated.

The Blue Fund will receive part of the fees and fines

The Blue Fund is an investment fund for research and entrepreneurship linked to the sea.

The Blue Fund will receive 10% of the amount of the fees and fines related to safety rules for passenger ships.

What are its benefits?

This decree-law is intended to ensure that passenger ships on domestic voyages ensure high levels of safety.

When does it come into effect?

This decree-law comes into effect the day after being published.

This text is intended to present the content of the legal act in accessible, plain and understandable language for citizens. The summary of the legal act in plain language has no legal value and does not replace the consultation of the legal act in the Diário da República.